WASHINGTON Jan 26 (ABC): A powerful winter storm sweeping across large parts of the United States has claimed at least 10 lives, triggered widespread power outages and flight disruptions, and prompted authorities to warn residents to stay off the roads as freezing conditions persist.
The storm brought heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain across multiple regions, while officials warned that an Arctic air mass trailing the system would push temperatures to dangerously low levels for several days. The US National Weather Service said severe winter conditions were expected to continue into Monday.
In New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said five people were found dead outdoors over the weekend amid freezing temperatures, noting that the deaths highlighted the dangers of extreme cold. In Texas, three deaths were confirmed, including that of a 16-year-old girl who died in a sledding accident.
Louisiana health officials reported two deaths caused by hypothermia.
According to PowerOutage.com, more than 840,000 customers were without electricity nationwide by Sunday night, with the majority of outages reported in southern states where the storm intensified over the weekend. Tennessee alone recorded more than 300,000 power outages after ice brought down power lines, while Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia each reported more than 100,000 customers without power.
Authorities across several states, including Texas, North Carolina, New York and others, urged residents to remain indoors due to hazardous travel conditions. Emergency declarations were issued in at least 20 states and in Washington, DC.
The storm moved into the northeastern United States on Sunday, blanketing cities such as Philadelphia, New York and Boston with snow and sleet. In Washington, several inches of snow were followed by freezing rain, leading to the closure of federal offices on Monday.
Major airports in Washington, Philadelphia and New York saw widespread flight cancellations. Flight tracking data showed more than 19,000 flights nationwide had been cancelled since Saturday.
President Donald Trump said on social media that federal authorities were monitoring the situation and coordinating with states affected by the storm.
Meteorologists attributed the extreme weather to a disrupted polar vortex, a system that allows Arctic air to spill southward. The National Weather Service warned that the cold could persist for up to a week in some areas, with wind chills in parts of the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest expected to drop below minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit, posing serious risks of frostbite within minutes.